Robert Saxton: 60th Birthday Celebrations & <em>Time and the Seasons</em> Tour

Robert Saxton celebrates his 60th birthday with a series of events held at the University of Oxford, and a national tour of his song cycle, Time and the Seasons, the premiere of which was described as 'haunting, elegiac' by The Guardian

The University of Oxford Faculty of Music marks the occasion with a talk and two concerts in the Holywell Music Room on 11-12th November. Professor Saxton will discuss his life and work with Dr Martyn Harry at 5pm on the 11th, before an evening concert at 8pm. Under the direction of Dr John Traill, Ensemble ISIS will give the second performance of Saxton's trumpet concerto Shakespeare Scenes (2013), performed by the work's commissioner, trumpeter Simon Desbruslais, who premiered the work with the Orchestra of the Swan in May 2013. Saxton's 1992 trumpet concerto, Psalm - A Song of Ascents will also feature, alongside a new work by John Traill and past/present Oxford composers who have worked with Robert, built upon his Little Prelude (2003). Pianist Clare Hammond will give the second concert at 12.30pm on 12th November, featuring the Oxford premiere of Saxton's piano cycle Hortus Musicae. Saxton was inspired to write Hortus Musicae for Clare following her fine performances of his Chacony for piano, left hand. Hortus Musicae was commissioned by the City of London Festival with funding from the John S Cohen Foundation, and premiered in June 2013. Clare Hammond will also perform the work at Bath Spa University on 20th November. Full details of these events can be found on the Faculty of Music website and in their Autumn 2013 brochure. Time and the Seasons Tour 'effective, carefully worked... haunting, elegaic' 'Saxton's poetry does its evocative job and the music supports and enhances it every step of the way.' - Andrew Clements, The Guardian Baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Andrew West premiered Saxton's Time and the Seasons at the Oxford Lieder Festival, who commissioned the work, on 16th October. They will take the song cycle on a national tour in March 2014, to the following venues: Sat. 8 March 2014, Stamford Arts Centre Wed. 12 March 2014, Ilkley Concert Club, King's Hall Tue. 18 March 2014, Richmond Concert Society, St Margaret's Church, East Twickenham Consisting of seven pieces, the cycle developed from what became its last song, 'The beach in winter: Scratby (for Tess)', originally written in 2007 for NMC's 20th anniversary Songbook. The song pays tribute to an area of the Norfolk coast (Scratby) where Saxton spent his childhood holidays. Saxton's own poems address the seasonal cycle and recollection, memory, and the conjunction of time.